


Try Not To Lose This One

by Milvus



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Cloud is a dork, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Marle stirs the pot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29757267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milvus/pseuds/Milvus
Summary: Some Cloti fluff, courtesy of Marle. Marle was one of my favorite additions to the FF7 remake. I love how she’s so team Cloti while still calling Cloud out on his shit! I doubt she’d let him off the hook, even after the events of the game…
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 61





	Try Not To Lose This One

The sun was low in the sky by the time Cloud pulled up outside Seventh Heaven, tired and dusty from a day on the road. The first thing he saw was Marlene and Denzel on the steps of the bar, their two heads bent low in a conspiratorial huddle. Usually, the two of them would look up eagerly at the sound of Fenrir’s engine, hurrying to greet him at the end of his working day. Today they didn’t appear to even register his return, and it was with a little disheartened frown that Cloud stared at their backs from the street.

Perhaps this was a good sign, he tried to tell himself as he stepped off the bike. Evidence the two wards now took his return home for granted, rather than an event to be celebrated. He really ought to be pleased.

Tamping down his disappointment, Cloud stepped forward, craning his neck to see what was so fascinating as to capture the kids’ attention. The sight in front of him only made him furrow his brows all the deeper. Marlene and Denzel were bent over a small, grizzly looking yellow dog, scratching it behind the ears and cooing over the animal. The dog seemed delighted with the attention, huffing warm, happy doggy breaths as its tongue lolled from its jaws, eyes swivelling from one child to the next. It looked oddly familiar, but not being a dog person Cloud gave it little thought.

Tilting his head, he lifted one arm to his hips in his trademark cocky stance.

‘What’s all this?’ he asked, his words causing both kids and dog to start and look up at him. Eyes widening, Denzel scrambled hastily to his feet, flustered at being caught doing something as uncool as fussing over a dog. Marlene merely wrapped her arms around the animal’s neck, grinning up at Cloud.

‘Hey Cloud. Isn’t he cute?’ she chirped, pressing her face into its fur.

‘Where’d it come from?’ he answered, raising a sceptical eyebrow. It wasn’t like Tifa to let the kids play with the stray animals that roamed the neighbourhood. Something was up. ‘Does Tifa know about this?’

‘Yeah, she’s inside. She-‘

‘Ah, back at last I see!’

It was Cloud’s turn to start as a new voice, dry and rasping, cut through their conversation. Twisting around, he looked up to see Marle of all people looking down at them from the entrance of the bar, her hair a crown of grey spikes illuminated by the evening sun.

When was the last time he’d seen his former landlady? Months, maybe even a year? She’d been a formidable presence throughout the early days of Edge’s construction, overseeing the gathering of materials and building of homes. Often, during the building of the second Seventh Heaven he’d looked over his shoulder to see her observing the progress, watching his own amateur attempts at sawing and hammering with narrowed eyes. He knew Tifa still kept in regular touch, phoning and visiting, sometimes with the kids in tow. Being out on the road for most of the daylight hours, Cloud’s own interactions with Marle were more infrequent, something he imagined neither of them spent much time lamenting.

But now here she was, looking down at him with such calm satisfaction that, rather than being outside the new Seventh Heaven, Cloud felt himself propelled back to his early days in the slums, weathering the critical eye of his landlady once again. He could only stare at her, lips parted in surprise.

‘Took you long enough.’ She chided, crossing her arms.

Though she smiled, the cutting edge to her words was unmistakable. A familiar wave of shame washed over Cloud, and he dropped his own stance, arms hanging loosely at his side. It had been many months already, but news of his having abandoned his family had clearly reached Marle’s ears. How had she found out? Had Tifa told her? The thought made his stomach twist as a vision of Tifa sobbing into Marle’s shoulder, cursing his name while the other woman comforted her, rose up in his mind’s eye.

No, surely not. That wasn’t like Tifa. Rallying himself, Cloud closed his mouth, features settling into his resting scowl face as he prepared to meet Marle head on. Marle had always been fiercely protective of Tifa. A nod from her would-be granddaughter and she’d no doubt be shooing him off his own doorway with a broom just like any other unwanted stray. Still, while he deserved whatever rebuke she could offer, he wouldn’t be cowed, not anymore. The weight of guilt that had shrouded his heart and mind had been washed away for the most part along with the Geostigma and some of the old spunk and pride that had driven his younger self had started to resurface. He’d been working hard to make amends to everyone who mattered for his past discretions. It had been slow, humble going, but they in turn had recognized his commitment and responded in kind. Denzel was happier than he’d ever been. Even Tifa, warm, caring Tifa, the one he’d let down the most, had welcomed him back, both to their home and to their bed. A privilege he knew he didn’t deserve but had nevertheless seized with eager, greedy hands. He wasn’t going to lose any of his hard fought progress. Especially when he could see Denzel from the corner of his eye, watching their exchange, curious as to discombobulating effect this frail old lady was having on his would-be hero.

‘What are you doing here, Marle?’ He asked, his attempt at friendly indifference undermined by the stiffness of his words and posture.

‘Hmmph, still working on those skills I see.’ Marle countered. Her eyes glittered with a wicked mirth, clearly happy to have another opportunity to goad her former tenant. ‘I’m here to see my dear girl, it’s been too long.’

‘And? How do you find things?’

‘Fair enough, fair enough.’ she replied, lifting her chin. ‘She seems happy. Family life looks to suit her.’

Glancing towards the kids, Cloud’s lips twitched upwards at the concession.

‘Much better than gallivanting across the planet if you ask me.’ She concluded with a nod.

The half-smile dropped at the jab and Cloud turned his attention back to her.

‘How goes the delivery business, my boy?’

‘Er, fine…thanks.’ He replied, tacking on the acknowledgement as an afterthought.

‘You got a card or something? Maybe I want something delivered sometime, eh?’

‘Marle…?’ Before he could answer, Tifa emerged from Seventh Heaven, wiping her hands on her apron, aromas of home cooking following in her wake. Pausing at the doorway, her eyes widened fractionally as she took in the standoff between her lover and her friend. Then, smiling brightly, she trotted down the steps, inserting herself into the line of sight between Cloud and Marle.

‘Cloud, you’re back!’ She exclaimed, placing her hands on his shoulders and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Tifa rarely offered such public displays of affection and Cloud sensed the gesture was more for Marle’s benefit than his own.

Pulling back, she smiled at him encouragingly.

‘Marle’s come for a visit, isn’t that nice?’

She looked at him pleadingly and he could almost hear her mentally urging him to ‘be nice’. Hidden from Marle’s view, Cloud pursed his lips in a small pout and Tifa’s eyes sparkled with humor. 

‘I’m still waiting on that card y’know.’ Marle piped up over Tifa’s shoulder. 

Fighting his features back into a neutral expression, Cloud dug a dog-eared business card from his pocket and stepped towards Marle, extending it to her with outstretched arm. Accepting it, she gave the card the most cursory of glances before stashing it within the folds of her clothes, fixing him with her falcon-like stare now that he was closer.

‘You’re looking well enough, I suppose...’ She mused, eyes scouring his face. ‘Scrawny though. Could do with putting on a few extra pounds.’ She looked up over his head, directing that last comment to where Tifa stood behind him.

‘Good thing dinner’s nearly ready then.’ Tifa replied, good naturedly. ‘You sure you won’t join us, Marle? There’s plenty to go around.’

‘No, no my dear,’ Marle answered, declining the invitation with a wave of her hand. ‘Thank you but no. Must be getting on.’

Stepping past Cloud she gave him a conciliatory pat on the shoulder. Wrapping her arms around Tifa she pulled her into a tight hug before turning and making a show of looking around.

‘Now where’s that mutt of mine?’

‘Here he is!’ Marlene piped up, scratching the dog behind one ear. Together the two children ushered the animal towards the adults.

‘What type of dog is he?’ Denzel asked, grey eyes bright with curiosity.

‘Hell as I know.’ Marle answered, smiling down at him, ‘Just an old slum mutt like me.’

‘We could walk him for you sometime. If you’d like.’

‘Oh yes!’ cried Marlene, ‘we could walk him.’

‘Why thank you my dears. How kind of you.’ Marle reached out a hand and tussled Denzel’s hair. ‘Such a nice young man you’re growing up to be.’

She looked up at Cloud. For a moment he thought this another dig at his own manners, but then saw the warmth and approval in her expression as she surveyed his make-shift family. Despite himself, Cloud felt that same small smile of pride playing at the corners of his lips. Such things came easier and easier these days it would seem. 

=======================

Weeks passed and Cloud had all but forgotten about Marle’s visit when she phoned out of the blue. True to her threats there was a parcel she wanted delivered from Kalm.

When he arrived at the address, a modest groundfloor dwelling on one of the quieter thoroughfares of Edge, Marle was outside, observing the world go by much the way she had back in the Sector 7 slums. Rather than standing however, she was ensconced in a faded chair, her dog lying at her feet. Noting the change, and the way she slowly raised to her feet in greeting, he tried not to frown. Time was passing and Marle was getting older. The thought left an odd pang of regret in his chest and he resolved to try to be nicer to his former landlady, just as Tifa wanted. 

‘You want coffee?’ She asked by way of greeting, turning away and shuffling into her small shack before Cloud had a chance to even offer her the parcel in his hands. Surprised and with no opportunity to reply, he stood awkwardly on the stoop, doing his best to avoid the curious eyes of the dog, until she emerged a few minutes later with two steaming cups.

‘Ain’t got any cream, I’m afraid. Does hell to my digestion.’

They stood in silence as the city hummed around them. The dog watched a while, tail wagging in the hopes of some interaction, before eventually giving up and curling back into its spot by Marle’s chair. He ought to say something he knew, make some passing comment about the weather or the roads, offer news of Tifa and the kids. Small talk was never his forte however, and his mind pulled up a blank. Instead, Cloud sipped the bitter coffee as quickly as he could without scalding his tongue. Marle was being oddly reticent. Despite his commitment to be friendlier to her only minutes earlier, he could sense admonishment in the air and itched to be off as soon as politeness dictated. Sure enough she turned her sharp blue eyes on him just as he was preparing to abandon the last dregs and bid a farewell.

‘You taking care of our girl, like we talked about?’

Wincing, Cloud looked down into his cup. _Like we talked about_ was nearly three years ago. He’d half a mind to retort that Tifa was more than capable of looking after herself, much as she had when Marle first raised the topic outside Stargazer Heights. Still, he knew this wasn’t what the old lady meant.

‘I’m trying.’ He mumbled, avoiding her gaze and resisting the urge to add-on a ‘ma’am’ at the end.

‘You listening to her?’

He nodded.

‘Really listening?’ Marle pressed, chin jutting forward.

‘Yes...’ He sighed sulkily, shoulders drooping another inch.

‘You love her?’

‘Yes.’

He blinked. Shaken by the admission and how quickly it had fallen from his lips, Cloud lifted his head to stare, bewildered at his interrogator. No one had ever asked him that before, not even Tifa… At least… not that he could recall.

‘Hmmph,’ Marle nodded slowly, as if he’d just given up the answer to a puzzle she’d solved long before, ‘There’s a lot of love in that girl’s heart. She deserves some back in return.’

Reaching out for his empty coffee cup, she squeezed his hand briefly, the skin of her own palm dry and papery. Cloud swallowed, suddenly feeling very small. Despite her prickly exterior Marle had always seen him as more as an ally than a threat when it came to Tifa, albeit with a few rough edges in need of smoothing out. That she still saw potential after everything that had passed left him suddenly desperate, fighting back the urge to seize her hand and wail that he still had no idea what he was doing, despite all the time that had passed, and that he’d surely mess everything up again given half a chance!

If she sensed his distress, Marle didn’t acknowledge it. Instead she turned, carrying the cups back into her home. Calling out to him to wait, she emerged a few moments later with an armful of parcels wrapped in brown paper.

‘More deliveries?’ He asked weakly.

‘Gifts for Tifa and the kids.’ She explained curtly, pushing the packages into Cloud’s arms, ‘Nothing for you mind.’

====================

‘Oh, don’t you two look adorable!’ Tifa cooed, pulling out the small camera she occasionally insisted on using to document small snippets of family life. ‘Get together so I can take a photo for Marle.’

Grabbing hold of Denzel’s arm, Marlene beaming up at the camera, tilting her head as she modelled her new pink knit cap. Denzel looked decidedly less enthusiastic. Though his own hat was knitted in more muted blues and grays, the overall look was slightly hampered in his eyes by the large blue pompom sticking out the top, one that matched the bright pink pompom adorning the top of Marlene’s hat.

‘So thoughtful of Marle.’ Tifa said, bending down to the children’s height and snapping the picture, ‘It’s already getting colder. You’ll both looks so cute out!’

As soon as she turned away Denzel tugged off the hat, throwing a sour glance in Cloud’s direction. Cloud had contributed little to the family dynamic after handing over Marle’s gifts, retreating instead to a nearby booth to observe the unfolding scene and mull over the events of the afternoon. Catching Denzel’s scowl, he offered a weak conciliatory shrug.

‘Your turn, Tifa. Open yours!’ Marlene cried, skipping towards where the last parcel lay on the counter.

Tifa smiled, stowing the camera behind the bar before turning her attention to the gift. Picking up the parcel she made a show of studying it, bouncing it in her hands to test the weight.

‘It’s too big for a hat,’ she murmured, tugging at the string and lifting up the folds of brown paper. ‘Oh, there’s a note.’

Unfolding a scrap of paper, she held it up to read aloud, ‘To dear Tifa. Try not to lose this one. Love Marle.’

Tifa paused, the amused smile on her face faltering. Frowning slightly, she re-read the short lines in silence before placing the note on the counter and slowly turning back to the half-opened package. With more caution than before she gingerly parted the wrapping with a rustle of tissue paper, ducking her head to peer closer at its contents. She stared for a moment, then, eyes widening, straightened up, hastily refolding the paper to cover whatever was inside.

‘What is it?’ Marlene asked, lifting up on her toes to try to sneak a peek into the package.

‘Oh, nothing,’ Tifa trilled, a flush spreading across her cheeks, ‘Just Marle being silly, that’s all.’

‘Let’s see.’

Tifa hesitated, pressing her lips into a thin line. Her gaze flickered briefly to where Cloud was sitting, before dropping down to the parcel. With a soft sigh, she pulled back the paper, reaching in with both hands to pull out a swathe of rich, midnight blue fabric.

‘Oohhh!’ Marlene gasped, clapping her hands together in delight. ‘It’s so pretty!’

Holding it at arms distance, as if she wanted nothing to do with it, Tifa contemplated the short, unadorned dress.

‘It’s very kind of her but… I don’t know what Marle was thinking.’ she muttered, shaking her head, ‘When am I ever going to wear this?’

‘Try it on!’ Marlene cried, bouncing on her heels.

‘Not now’ Tifa said, folding the dress back up and preparing to stow it back inside its wrapping. ‘I have to get the bar ready.’

‘Try it on! I want to see.’

‘Yeah, come on, Tifa’, this from Denzel, who’d been watching quietly up to this point. ‘We tried on our hats.’

Tifa glanced reluctantly between the two children, opening her mouth as if to object, before dropping her shoulders and sighing.

‘Okay, fine. Just… quickly then.’ Spinning on her heels, she hurried through the door to the living quarters, dress trailing loosely in her grip.

Steeped in silence, the three remaining family members listened to the sounds of her footsteps going up the stairs, followed by the bedroom door opening and closing. There was a moment of utter stillness before Marlene looked towards Cloud, her eyes rich with mirth. Gaze still fixed on the doorway through which Tifa had just passed, it took Cloud a few seconds to register and turn his face towards her. Rather than give voice to whatever she was thinking, the girl simply smirked knowingly before breaking off into a delighted giggle, twirling giddily on the spot.

Denzel only glowered, staring down at the hat in his hands.

‘Do I have to wear this?’ He asked, looking petulantly up at Cloud.

‘Probably.’ Cloud said, his voice sounding oddly muted to his own ears as his eyes drifted back to the doorway, ‘You don’t wanna offend Marle.’

‘She won’t even know!’

Cloud paused, considering.

‘Well… it’ll make Tifa happy.’

Harrumphing, Denzel dragged his feet over to the booth, taking a seat opposite from Cloud and dropping the offending knitwear on the countertop.

More minutes passed, longer than would arguably be needed for Tifa to change. Feeling increasingly unsettled, Cloud lifted his eyes to the ceiling. A dress? Why had Marle gifted Tifa a dress of all things? And why was Tifa so put out by it?

The sound of footsteps on the stairs, slower this time, had him whipping his gaze back to the floor, the nervous feeling in his gut gnawing harder.

Tifa returned to the bar with an odd pout on her face, quite different to her usual no nonsense demeanor.

‘I don’t even have any shoes to go with it.’ She huffed, gesturing at her bare feet.

The dress was simple but well cut, the fabric clinging to her curves before ending in a loose skirt a few inches above the knees. In the dim light of the bar the dark blue appeared almost black, the color bringing out the red of her eyes.

‘Oohhh!’ Marlene exclaimed, ‘you look so elegant, like a princess!’

Tifa looked down at herself. The dress was far too plain to deserve such a compliment but she smiled nonetheless.

‘It is a good fit I guess’ she acquiesced, running the flats of her palms across the skirt as if to smooth away imaginary creases.

‘Turn around, give us a spin!’

Smirking at the girl, Tifa turned slowly on the spot. Her expression lifting into a genuine smile as she watched the skirt flare out with her movement. Pleased, she repeated the gesture, holding her arms out to her side and spinning faster in the opposite direction, the fabric swirling around her hips just as her hair floated across her back. Marlene laughed and clapped in delight. Even Denzel offered a small smile at the scene.

Cloud could only watch on in a daze.

Chuckling, Tifa ducked her chin and dropped her arms back down. She beamed at both the children before, tilting her head fractionally, she glanced shyly in Cloud’s direction.

He stiffened. It was clearly his turn to contribute something, but once again he found himself lost for words. Cursing inwardly, he tried to rally his internal SOLDIER persona. Though it wasn’t a part of him he often turned to these days, there’d been some genuine moments of flirtatious confidence that the real Cloud wished he could summon as readily.

‘Beautiful.’ He eventually forced out, falling back on a tried and tested favorite, though half-wincing at the strained delivery.

Tifa beamed at him, the delight clear on her face. Smiling softly in return, Cloud sent out a quiet thanks to Marle for making her happy.

===================

Later that night, with the kids in bed and the last of the customers having departed, the two of them were left alone in the bar. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence these days. After mapping out his delivery routes for the jobs ahead, Cloud often lingered, helping Tifa to close up before sitting in quiet contemplation at the bar as she busied herself with ledgers and inventories. Sometimes they spent the time discussing the kids or one or other business. Other times they spent in silence, content with each other’s company.

Head bent, Cloud studied the tumbler of whiskey in front of him, rotating the glass, he watched the amber liquid swirl along the sides and the memory of Tifa, twirling in her dress, floated up in his brain. The recollection must have softened his features, for the next moment Tifa was looking at him curiously from across the bar.

‘What?’ she asked, amusement flickering in her eyes.

‘Oh, nothing…I was just thinking. Nice of Marle to send gifts.’

‘Hmmm.’ Tifa nodded. 

Cloud considered her thoughtfully, weighing up the pros and cons of asking his next question.

‘What did she mean, about not losing the dress?’

‘Huh?’

‘The note… She said not to lose this one.’

‘Oh, erm…’ Tifa paused, flustered. Averting her eyes, she tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. ‘It’s nothing,’ she said, her tone overly light and breezy, ‘Just Marle being Marle…’

Hesitating, she took a breath before elaborating further, eyes now firmly fixed on the polished surface of the bar. ‘She meant the dress I wore when I-, you know, the Don Corneo audition…’

Cloud blinked at her in surprise.

‘Oh.’ Was all he could manage in reply.

‘Yeah..’ Tifa murmured, her voice growing quieter at the memory, ‘she helped me pick it out.’

Glancing up at Cloud, she offered him a quick rueful grin before snatching up a dish rag and starting to polish the glasses on the drying rack. A sure sign she wanted to drop the subject.

Lowering his gaze, Cloud took a slow sip of his drink, his own ears starting to burn at the recollection. The two of them rarely talked about that brief, eventful time at the Don’s mansion. If he were being honest, he would be happy to go through life never thinking of it again; the awkwardness of the memory further tarnished by the painful scenes that had played out in Sector 7 later that same night. He’d never given a moment’s thought to the fate of his own corseted outfit, tossed carelessly into some far corner of the Don’s boudoir just before he, Tifa and Aerith had plunged several stories down into the depths of the slum sewers.

It hadn’t occurred to him that Tifa might have regretted the loss of her own dress, the bright indigo and lacy trim so different to the monotone blacks and whites she normally wore. She’d never struck him as the sentimental type.

Still, something didn’t sit right. He toyed with the glass in his hands, deliberating for a minute, before looking up, trying and failing to catch her eye.

‘Marle… helped you pick out a dress for the audition?’

Tifa went oddly still at his words, staring down at the glass she held for a couple of heartbeats. 

‘Hmmm?’ she replied weakly.

Rallying back into action she turned around, placing the glass on the shelf with a sharp clink before picking up another. Cloud stared at her, brows furrowing with trepidation. Even as he’d said it out loud, the absurdity of the notion stood out bright as day. There was no way shrewd, level-headed Marle would ever have been on board with Tifa’s reckless plan to infiltrate the Don’s mansion. Hell, even he, with a little coaching from Aerith, had come to appreciate the foolhardy nature of the endeavour. What lies must Tifa have spun to get Marle to help?

‘Teef?’ he tried again. Curiosity pushing him on even as another, more sensible part of his brain hissed at him to drop it.

She kept her back to him, struggling with some internal decision. Seeing the discomfort emanating from her, he immediately regretted his probing, mind casting around for a change of subject. Before he could come up with one however, her shoulders sagged and she turned slowly to face him, reluctance etched into her expression.

‘I…we didn’t..’ she stopped with a grimace, before taking a breath and trying again, ‘It wasn’t meant for the Don, not originally. I-… I was going to wear it for our celebration.’

‘…Celebration?’ He echoed, struggling to catch up.

Something that looked awfully like disappointment flickered across her features, before she flashed him a self-deprecating smile.

‘We were gonna go topside, remember? To celebrate our… for us bumping into each other after so long.’

Cloud could only gawp at her, brain momentarily drawing a blank before slowly pulling up the memory. The two of them in her small apartment at Stargazer Heights, the excited look on her face as she’d proposed the outing. His bemused response… How she’d stepped back, posing playfully, asking his opinion on the type of outfit she should wear…

_Oh gods!_

Every drop of moisture in Cloud’s throat evaporated as he stared, goggle eyed, at her. Tongue cloying to his palate, he made a hurried grab for his drink, foolishly trying to remedy the problem with whiskey. The sudden burn of alcohol had him choking and coughing uncontrollably, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

She’d chosen that dress for a night out with _him?_

Even as he fought to overcome the burning bite of the whiskey, reaching for the glass of water Tifa hastily set before him, Cloud’s imagination went rushing on ahead. Where before the memory of the dress had faded in time, the details came hastening back in electrifying clarity. The hem that barely brushed the tops of her thighs, the way the fabric had wrapped around her frame, the complicated crisscross of straps such that the whole getup looked like it was held together by nothing more than tension and hope.

With _him?_

The thought, the connection had never occurred to him before. Though it fitted in retrospect, when had… when had she even had the time?

‘Are you okay?’ she asked, humiliation writ clear on her face.

‘Fine,’ he spluttered, wresting back control of his voice, ‘I’m fine.’

He felt far from fine. Instead, his thoughts were splitting off in multiple directions. A deep, decidedly masculine part of him was ecstatic, wanting to crow with delight at the revelation. How well they’d have looked, how proud he’d have been, walking the streets of Midgar, both slums and plate alike, with such a vision on his arm! How many envious stares would they have attracted? And then… later… an image of Tifa in the dress, younger, shyer than she was now. Watching him through lowered lashes, her skin glowing golden in the soft warm light of her apartment. It would only have taken the gentlest tug of the bow at the base of her throat for the whole dress to unravel and fall away from her curves…

_No, impossible!_

He shook his head, trying to banish the thought before it caught him up entirely. Even as he’d imagined it, he recognized it for the hopeless fantasy it was. Just as one half of his brain reveled in this new found knowledge, the other, more somber half was horrified, appalled that she would have ever thought to make such an effort for the thick-skulled, cocky little shit he’d been back then.

Time had given him a perspective into his actions and the façade he’d come to believe in when first arriving in Midgar. He’d been frightened and confused for the most part. Unwilling to look face on at the grey haze where his memories should have been, disoriented by the strange visions that arrived in his skull with painful fanfare. Instead, he’d attempted to hide his fear under a blanket of arrogance and general asshole posturing, many of the recollections of which he was not proud of. Jessie in particular, how cruel and dismissive he’d been of her advances… the shame of it still needled at him even now. Though Tifa was able to draw out his softer side even in those early days, he still dreaded to imagine what his real reaction might have been at the sight of her in _that_ dress arriving for their night on the town; either balking in terror or, even worse, brushing off her efforts with some hack attempt to look cool and nonchalant. Either way he would have wanted to smack his old self upside the head.

Pulling himself out of his warring thoughts, Cloud suddenly grew aware of the silence and stillness between them. _Shit!_

Realizing the onus was once again on him to say something, he forced his eyes upwards. Tifa’s head was bowed, fingers tracing a scuff mark on the bar, her features hidden by the curtain of her hair.

‘It… looked nice.’ He offered lamely, feeling the blush growing on his cheeks. ‘I mean, you looked nice…Dunno if I ever said at the time.’

Tifa glanced in his direction, a soft, wistful look in her eyes.

‘No…’ she murmured after a pause, her lips turning upwards at the sight of his awkwardness, ‘I don’t think you did.’

Catching her teasing edge, Cloud felt relief wash over him.

‘Well… I was hanging off the back of a chocobo carriage if I recall.’ He countered.

Tifa smirked then, a real smile reaching her eyes. Tension broken, she shook her head gently before lifting up the whiskey bottle and tilting it in his direction.

‘Top up?’

Cloud glanced down at the small quantity of liquor that had remained in the glass rather than coated his lungs.

‘No, I’m good.’

Picking up her own glass, Tifa walked around the bar, settling herself on the stool next to his. They sat in silence for several minutes, nursing what was left of their drinks.

Cloud felt wretched. Here he was, thinking things were going well for once and now this.... Where before he’d been grateful to Marle for making his family smile, now he only felt bitter towards her for exposing yet another of his failings, one he hadn’t even realized he’d made. He knew Tifa wouldn’t see it that way. She’d argue any plans they’d made had been swept away by more pressing events. Still, the idea of her looking forward to their night out, planning so meticulously only for it to pass without comment left him grimacing into his glass.

Had they ever gone out, just the two of them? Yes, many times, but never for something as frivolous and indulgent as a night on the town. Insides twisting, Cloud contemplated, not for the first time, how he and Tifa had somehow managed to do everything backwards. Necessity and circumstance dropping them into the day-to-day responsibilities of business running and child rearing like any other old married couple, while completely side-stepping the giddy delights and anticipation of the early days of a relationship. Not that he had much experience of courting, but from what he could tell Cloud understood it to be a happy, pleasant enough thing...

‘I would have liked to celebrate with you.’ 

The words were so low and soft Tifa had to glance in his direction to confirm she’d really heard them. Cloud stayed staring into his glass, a slow blink the only acknowledgement he’d said anything.

‘Me too.’ She said softly, offering him a small, conciliatory smile.

He shifted uncomfortably, feeling the phantom dig of Marl’s bony fingers pressing into his back.

‘We- we could still go.’

‘What?’

‘We could still celebrate. It’s a bit late, but… well, you have a dress now. It wouldn’t be top side or anything, but- but there are nicer parts of Edge these days and…’ He trailed off, realizing he was rambling.

The silence that followed was one of the most awkward in Cloud’s memory, which was truly saying something.

‘…I’d need to get some shoes.’ She murmured the words more to herself than to him, slowly turning the idea over in her mind.

‘Okay.’ was all he could think to say in response.

‘And… you’d have to wear something to match.’ He could hear the smile in her voice now as she warmed to the proposition. Daring to sneak a look, he caught the shy, happy sparkle in her eyes.

‘I could close the bar…’ she continued, the smile giving way to frowning concentration as she considered the myriad complications of arranging a date night. ‘But, what about the kids?’ 

It was Cloud’s turn to smile, a small wry smirk as he turned to face her.

‘I think I know someone who could babysit.’

He’d phone her tomorrow. If Marle was going to stir up all this trouble she could at least help with the logistics.

**Author's Note:**

> I always felt sorry for Tifa not getting to go on her date with Cloud after being so awkward/excited about the idea, so I thought I'd fix it for her. I also wanted to get this out there before the Tifa DLC arrives and puts pay to my head canon.


End file.
